One year
by KitandMip
Summary: One year. One year since Kira was born. One year since this whole mess began. One year since the biggest case in history brought us together. LxLight angsty-fluff. T for char. death


I own nothing

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One year

_One year_

_One year since Kira was born._

_One year since this whole mess began_

_One year since the biggest case in history brought us together_

"Hey, Ryuzaki!" Light called, as he walked onto the roof of the building. Turning to the younger man, L briefly acknowledged his presence, before continuing to stare up at the raging storm.

"What are you doing up here Ryuzaki? You're getting soaked." Light asked, the concern in his voice real, for once.

"Nothing Light-Kun. I was simply listening." L responded, continuing his observation of the dark gray, almost black, clouds.

"Listening to what?" Light asked, not hearing anything except the storm raging around them.

"The bells, Light-Kun. It almost sounds like a wedding. Or….." L trailed off. "Or what?" Light asked.

"Nothing Light-Kun. I suppose we had better go back inside. It would not do for us to catch a cold." L replied, turning towards Light and the door back inside. Light backed through the door, allowing L to pass him and head down the stairs.

Once the two were inside, L called for Watari to bring them some towels. After the old man had left, L and Light proceeded to dry themselves off. As Light started drying his hair, he felt an itch in between his shoulder blades, and turned to find L staring at him.

"Is something wrong Ryuzaki?" He asked. "No, nothing is wrong Light-Kun." L said, wandering over to where Light was sitting. Sitting down next to the younger man, L carefully picked up one of Light's feet and started rubbing it gently, drying it off.

"What are you doing Ryuzaki?" Light asked, honestly confused. "Nothing Light-Kun." L responded, the towel never ceasing in its movements. Light sighed, before noticing the water still dripping off of L's hair. Deciding to return the favor, light took the towel from around his shoulders and started to dry L's hair.

"Thank you Light-Kun" L said, moving away from Light's now dry feet. Light nodded, also ceasing to dry L's hair. They both sat there in silence for a little while, until L suddenly spoke.

"One year." He said quietly.

"What was that Ryuzaki?" Light asked. "One year. It has been one year since the Kira case began. One year since we first met."

Light thought back, before nodding slightly. "Yeah, I guess it has. Kind of funny, huh? Only one year, but so much has happened already. The notebook and everything."

L smiled slightly in agreement. "Yes. It has been an interesting year. And now Light-Kun and I are friends too."

Light nodded in agreement, and the two lapsed back into silence. Light was almost asleep when L spoke again.

"Yes, friends, but could we have been…?" L wondered softly, thumb resting on his bottom lip.

"Could we have been what Ryuzaki?" Light asked, his confusion building even more, if that was possible.

L glanced over at the teen quickly before looking down at the ground and saying "More, Light-Kun. Could we have been more?"

Light looked at the detective, trying to figure out what he had meant. Was it just another test to see if he was Kira?

Before Light could respond, however, L said quietly "Never mind Light-Kun. Please, go back downstairs. I'm sure the Task Force has started to wonder where we are."

Light nodded and quickly took the older man's suggestion, relief at being away from L and his odd thoughts clearly written on his face. _"More then friends, what did he mean more then friends?" _

L, meanwhile, watched the teen walk away with a small sigh. _"If only you knew Light-Kun, if only you knew." _Shoving his thoughts of Light and what could have been into the back of his head and slowly getting to his feet, L wandered back down the stairs to where the task force was waiting.

**ALL DATA DELETION** The computer screens, which had moments before held various information on the Kira case, suddenly turned white and flashed the alert that all the work done on the case was gone.

"What's happening?" "What's going on?" The Task Force panicked. "I instructed Watari to erase all the data in the event that something should happen to him." L responded calmly, as though discussing the weather. Inside, however, a million scenarios played out until it hit him.

"Everyone! The shiniga…" The detective's words suddenly cut off as sharp pains shot through his chest.

L felt his life slipping away as he fell out of his chair, the spoon that he had been holding falling from his fingers.

The detective expected to hit the floor, and he braced himself the best he could, but instead a pair of warm arms caught and held him.

"_Light-Kun's arms" _ L realized as he gazed up at the teens hidden smirk of triumph.

Drawing his final breath, L uttered his last words so quietly that Light barely heard them. and as the darkness began to eat away at his vision, he watched as the teen's triumphant smirk slid off his face to be replaced with a look of horror. The tears that followed were not fake.

--One Year Later--

_One year_

_One year since L was murdered by the man he considered his only friend_

_One year since this whole mess exploded out of control_

_One year since the biggest case in history brought us together then tore us apart_

Light stood staring at the simple headstone that marked the grave of the great detective L.

He had come here everyday, rain and snow be damned. He came to talk to L, to tell him about the new world. Not to rub in the fact that l had lost, but because there was no one else to tell. No one else who would understand how bored a genius could get when no one could challenge them.

After L had died, Light had begun to lose interest in the new world. What was the point in killing criminals if those who brought justice must also be killed? And it wasn't just that. Light missed the messy-haired detective on a personal level too.

He missed the verbal jousts. He missed working together to catch criminals. And he missed looking over his shoulder, waiting for the detective to make his next move so Light could counter it.

Light continued to stare at L's grave for a couple more minutes before slowly turning around and walking back to the car he had parked nearby.

Once he arrived home, Light allowed his mind to once more wander back to the man who had been occupying his thoughts for a better part of the year.

Although Light would never admit it, there was one more reason he missed the detective.

Flashback: L falling off the chair, Light catching him like a concerned friend would. As he watched the detective die, Light hadn't been able to contain the smirk of triumph, although he took care to hide it. Then L had spoken. "I love you, Light"

Tears fogged Light's vision as he recalled the man's final words. Getting up to find something to eat, Light finally allowed himself to say the words that had never come before. "I love you too, my L"

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My little attempt at LxLight. Love it, hate it, think house plants are taking over the world? Click the little blue button and share your thoughts with me.


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